The Natural Medicine of Sukkot & Foraging Season in Israel
September 2026
The Healing Power Plants of Sukkot
Shalom friends,
Two messages from this season here in Israel. I was out looking at what there is to forage now, and what I'm noticing is that the fruits are out. There's not much herbs to forage right now - but the fruits are out. And it got me thinking about the cycle of life: we have this medicine growing up and out of the earth, and then there comes a point where we have to live with the medicine we already harvested - until the fruits show up.
Nature's Immune Support
Tapping into Sukkot and the meaning of the arba minim, I want to dive into the healing benefits of each one:
Etrog
A superpower of vitamin C, full of antioxidants and immunity.
Lulav
Also full of antioxidants; also keeps bugs away, making it great for a sukka.
Hadas
Good for stress relief and respiratory, also full of antioxidants.
Arava
A compound found in willow is actually the source for synthesizing aspirin.
I think we can see a theme here: these plants boost our immunity for the winter. And it's really cool that at this time of year we're stepping into Sukkot - a beautiful holiday connected to the story of the Jews and to the harvests of the land where we live. On a deeper level, most Jewish holidays actually have a lot to do with nature and the harvest.
So all these plants we're holding every day are very helpful for our immunity, our anxiety, all that stuff that could come up with chag. It's like an extra special gift - we get to receive these medicines at this time of year, getting ready for the winter.
Chag sameach 🌿
Blessings, Raquelli
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